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Taoiseach to face hostile Sligo reception

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD and the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton TD, will launch the Department of Social Protection’s new integrated employment and support service in the Department of Social Protection offices, Government Buildings, Cranmore Road on Monday, 15th October from 11.15am.

The new service for the first time now offers employment and income supports in one place and provides personalised employment advice, guidance and support, targeted to individual needs, while emphasising the personal responsibility of the client.

However Home Help workers facing cuts to their contracts and those campaigning against the household charges and the government’s new property tax will hold an anti-austerity protest outside the offices to coincide with the visit.

Calling for support for the protest Brian O’Boyle of the Sligo Workers Alliance said “The government’s austerity policies and the continued cutbacks in public services are affecting some of the most vulnerable sectors of Irish society. 

“The bill for the bank bailout is now being presented to the Irish people in the form of cutbacks. The EU/ECB is insisting that the money will be spent paying the bankers and speculators.   There can be no justification for ordinary people paying for the speculation of private institutions. We are being forced to pay a debt that is not of our making.

“The most recent savage cuts to the home help service stand out as they indicate how far Fine Gael and the Labour Party will go in order to ensure that the majority of ordinary people pay for the greed of a tiny rich minority.” he said.

'Failed Austerity Policies'

Independent Socialist Sligo councillor Declan Bree said “The latest national household figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the number of people at work between April - June fell by nearly 14,000.   These figures are yet another indictment of the failed austerity policies pursued by the government and unfortunately again make a nonsense of the suggestion that the economy has 'turned the corner'.

“A recent document prepared by European Commission troika staff sought to blame what it described as “benefits”, such as medical cards and housing, for so many people being long-term unemployed.   It tried to peddle the idea that without the removing of these basic human rights, ordinary people would have no incentive to seek employment.

“The reality is that there are no jobs available to Irish people unless they emigrate.  The government’s so called jobs strategy is an act in mass deception.  It has relied on high emigration, dead-end training and grossly exploitative internships to hide its shameful failure to deliver.   When this government talks about activation of job seekers what it really means is their disappearance either on the boat or plane or into the revolving door of training schemes.” declared Cllr Bree.

The Taoiseach and Minister Burton are expected to be accompanied Minister of State, John Perry TD, Deputy Tony McLoughlin and senators, Michael Comiskey, Imelda Henry, Susan O'Keeffe and Government County and Borough councillors.

SligoToday.ie understands that security will be tight on Monday morning to avoid any repeat of the recent incident which saw the Tanaiste's car become the target of an egg attack in Dublin by éirígí protesters.

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